The Law
Traffic signs or signals provide information and/or warnings on our roads to ensure the safety of all road users. Traffic light offences are dealt with under Section 36(1) Road Traffic Act 1988. According to this legislation, it is an offence to contravene a traffic signal, sign or road marking, including running a red light or failing to comply with any road markings at the lights.
Penalties
Failing to stop for a traffic signal carries 3 penalty points on your licence and a fine of £100.
This conviction will be valid for a period of 3 years, but will stay on your licence for 4 years, during which time you will be required to declare this when applying for insurance.
However, if the manner in which you were driving is considered by the police or prosecution to have endangered other road users, you may instead be charged with driving without due care and attention. For this offence, you would receive between 3 to 9 penalty points on your licence, plus an unlimited fine.
Hi Lucinda - I wanted to thank you for your support during my case. You put my mind at rest and made the whole process not only painless but also stress free, so thank you.
Dear Lucinda, I wanted to say thanks to you once again. you have done the amazing work for me.
How can we help you?
Traffic light offences are deemed a ‘strict liability’ offence. This means that you are guilty of the offence even if you unknowingly went through the red light or that it was not your intention to do so. However, we will be able to help reduce the implications that this offence may have on you or your licence.
We can help in one of the following ways:
1. Book a consultation (usually virtually at a time convenient to you) to enable us to explain the law clearly and how best to proceed with your case.
2. We may be able to advise with one of the following options:
a. Advise you on how to correctly respond to a request for information if you have received one.
b. Write on your behalf to request the opportunity to attend a driver awareness course as an alternative to a fixed penalty, in cases where applicable.
Once you have booked in with us, we will start work on your case right away. If you do not have all the information about your case available, we will request the prosecution evidence from the police prosecutors, if this is provided before your consultation, we will be able to go through all this with you. We will be able to assess the evidence against you and advise whether it is in your best interests to plead Guilty or Not Guilty. If the evidence is yet available, we can take your full instructions, advise you on the relevant law and procedure and prepare you for your court hearing.
3. If you already have 9 or more penalty points endorsed on your licence, you will usually be summonsed to court as this offence could lead to 12 of more penalty points on your licence (accumulating 12 or more points within 3 years can lead to a 6-month disqualification from driving). If this is the case, you will be at risk of losing your licence unless there are special reasons not to impose the points or where a disqualification would cause exceptional hardship.
Contact Lucinda Dore Solicitors today for legal advice. We can arrange virtual consultation for you at short notice.